A rare intradivision trade? Kupp’s injury history and price after this season should scare off the 49ers
San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan said losing Brandon Aiyuk for the season to a torn ACL will make the team “look into everything” on Monday. He also said the players in the building must step up:
“But it has to do with what options are out there with stuff that we can pull off that doesn’t totally hurt us, that helps us now and doesn’t hurt us for the future. There’s lots of decisions that go into it. So, we’ll look into everything, but a lot of times that’s just kind of living in hope. Those answers aren’t always out there. You’ve got to be ready to get people better in your building and deal with what you’ve got in your building. And if you ever find something that makes sense, we will never hesitate on it but it’s not always available like you hope it is.”
We went over a handful of potential trade targets the 49ers could be interested in ahead of the deadline. Some are realistic, while others are far-fetched.
You never know until you pick up the phone and ask. A report this morning from The Athletic’s Dianna Russini is one of those instances that will cause the 49ers to make a phone call.
Per Russini’s tweet, “The Rams have called multiple teams about trading former Super Bowl MVP Cooper Kupp. The Rams have indicated a willingness to take on some of the ‘24 salary and are seeking a 2nd round pick.”
Yes, trades within divisions in the NFL are rare, but they happen. Kupp has not played since Week 2. In Week 1, he had 21 targets. Injuries have severely limited Kupp during the past three seasons. He played 12 games in 2023 but only nine in 2022.
Kupp, who is currently expected to play on Thursday night football after being a full participant during Monday’s practice, is unlikely to be 100 percent.
The likelihood the Rams receive a 2nd round pick for Kupp as well as $5 million guaranteed money remains slim. The 49ers could also entice the Rams, or any team in a potential trade, to accept a lower pick as they can afford to take on Kupp’s salary since they have $55 million in cap space.
It’s a high-risk, high-reward trade that would pay off in a perfect situation, but you’re betting against history if you believe Kupp will stay healthy during the second half of the season. He also has two years left on his contract, and his cap number in each season after a trade would be around $9.7 million, per Over the Cap.
Kupp would be an upgrade over rookies Ricky Pearsall and Jacob Cowing, but that’s your future, and the Niners need to find out what they have in those two. Plus, with Deebo Samuel and Jauan Jennings, the 49ers need more of a true “X” or perimeter receiver.
The thought of Kupp is intriguing, but the 49ers could use their resources elsewhere. Trading for a player with an extensive injury history at a position where you’re already suffering multiple injuries makes little to no sense.